Moving-picture machine.



WIT HESS:

D. BRADY.

MOVING PICTURE MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 22, 1915.

Patented Feb. 13, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET' l.

T Nat I'HYEH TOR. GLEH D. BRADY AT T ORHEY.

PE'rERs CO.PHOTO-LITHO,WASNINGIDN. u c,

G. D. BRADY.

MOVING PICTURE MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 22. I915,- 1,215,770.

Patented Feb. 13,1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 IHYENTOR.

GLEN D. BRADY WITNEw BY 644, e574;

ATTOR HEY.

UNITED sra'ras PATENT option.

GLEN D. BRADY, 0F DETRGIT, MICHIGAN.

MQVING-PICTUBE MACHINE.

Application filed May 22, 1515.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GLEN D. BRADY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Detroit, county of Wayne, State of Michigan, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Moving-Picture Machines, and declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same, refer ence being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to electric cut-offs for cameragraphs or moving picture machines. The object is a simple, efficient and inexpensive apparatus controlled by the film to cut off the light to the machine and to break the circuit to the motor, if a motor be used, in the event the film breaks or slackness occurs therein through any cause. A further object of the invention is an electric switch normally held open by a portion of the film under tension in the machine and closed by gravity upon a release of the tension thereof to energize a circuit controlling the main switch to the light and to the motor. By utilizing an electric switch and circuit connected therewith for controlling the main switch as stated, the device is adapt able for use with various types of machines now on the market and may be placed at various points on the machine due to the small and compact size of the switch controlled by the film.

These objects and the various novel features of construction are hereinafter more fully described and claimed and shown in the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a general view of a cameragraph showing my electrically controlled cut-off in connection therewith.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the main switch, the controller for holding the same closed, land the circuit and controller switch there- Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the controller switch.

Fig. 4 is a section on line aew of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a section taken on line 3 g of- Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 is a detail of the locking means for the controller.

Similar characters refer to similar parts throughout the drawing and specification.

The controller switch consists of a block 1 of insulating material provided with Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 13, 1917.

Serial No. 29,770.

binding posts 2 and 3, and having a shaft 4 extending through the block between the binding posts. This shaft is connected to one of the binding posts 2 by a metal strip contacting the shaft and secured to the post. The projecting end of the shaft is provided with apin 6 adapted to contact a strip 7 electrically connected with the binding post 3, and when the shaft is turned with the pin engaging the strip 7, the binding-posts 2 and 3 are electrically connected. The end of the shaft a is provided with a crank 8 on which is a roller 9. As indicated more clearly in Fig. 1, this roller rides in contact with the film 50 passing through the machine from the upper to the lower reel, and in so passing the film is held taut as indicated. If from any cause the film is broken or the reel in the lower case fails to operate so as to maintain a tension on the film, the roller and crank 8 will fall by gravity and in so doing the pin 6 is brought into contact with the strip 7 of the binding post 8 which establishes a circuit as hereinafter described. The switch block 1 may be placed at any convenient point either at the lower end of the machine as shown, or at the upper end thereof, which position is of use in cutting out the light upon the end of the film passing the roller. In such a manner the light is out before the film has passed the lens and prevents the showing of the white screen.

Vith machines utilizing the are light and I oftentimes a motor for maintaining the machine in operation, if either or both are used, a switch is employed in the circuits thereto as is indicated in the drawings at 10. The

two wires 11 and 12 are the current supply wires for the are light connecting with two convenient binding posts on the switch block, and the wires 13 and 14 lead to the two carbons of the arc, which is located within the metal box 15 so positioned as to direct light through the tube 16 and through the aperture 17 provided in the machine to project the picture onto the screen. The wires 11 and 12 are connected with wires 13 and 14 by the blades 18 and 19 respectively of the switch, which are of the usual form pivoted to the block with which the wires 11 and 12 are electrically connected, and engaging the contact plates 20 and 21 electrically connected with the lines 13 and 14. If a motor be used to drive the machine at least one wire of the circuit should also lead to the switch block 10, as indicated at 22 and the blade 23 connecting the line 22 with the companion line 24 to the motor. By this arrangement both the motor and the are light circuits may be simultaneously broken by opening the main switch, which is provided with an insulating handle 25 as 1s usual with this type of switch. In order that this main switch may be opened automatically, I have provided a controller 26 shown more clearly in Figs. 2, 4 and 5. The controller consists of a latch member 27 pivotally mounted in a boX like frame at 28 and provided with a rearwardly extending tongue 29 engaging normally in a recess formed on the under side of a pivotally mounted shaft 30. The shaft 30 has a tongue 31 depending at an angle therefrom in the path of movement of the tongue 29 of the latch member 27. To the end of the shaft 30 is secured a lever 32 lying at right angles to the shaft and having a notch 33 in one edge near the end thereof. An electro-magnet 34 is mounted in the box 26 provided with an armature 35 pivoted in the lower side of the boX, as indicated in Fig. 4, and having a spring 36 tending to hold the armature away from the magnet cores. Normally the end of the lever 32 rests on a projecting lug 75 of the armature 35, as is indicated in full lines in Fig. 4, and by this means the shaft 30 is held from rotation thereby holding the latch member 27 in normal position. When the magnets 34 are onergized the armature 35 is brought forward so that the lug thereon may ride in the notch 33 of the lever 32 allowing the lever to fall and releasing the latch 27 to movement on its pivot 28.

The main switch blades 18 and 23 are each provided with a spring 40 tending to open the switch and the handle 25 of the switch has a latch 41 in pivotal relation therewith provided with a coiled spring 42 tending to force the notched end forward in engagement with the controller latch 27. On closing the main switch by means of the handle 25, the latch member 41 thereon engages under the end of the latch member 27 of the controller and the springs 40 tend to turn the latch 27 on its pivot point 28. Upon release of the lever 32 by the armature as heretofore described, the shaft 30 and tongue 31 are allowed to turn which releases the tongue 29 and latch 27.

The controller switch 1 is connected with the electro-magnets 34 by the wires 51 and 52 leading to the binding posts 53 and 54 on an insulating block 55 set into the wall of the controller case. To the inner ends of these binding posts are the wires 56 and 57 leading to the magnet coils. In this circuit is a battery 58 and on the closing of the circuit by means of the pin 6 and strip 7 of the switch block 1, the circuit is closed energizing the electroanagnets 34-, drawing the armature with the end thereof into the notch 33, releasing the latch member 27, and allowing the springs 40 to open the main switch blades, thus breaking the flow of current to the are light and to the motor as heretofore mentioned.

The controller switch 1 is held in normal open position as heretofore stated by the tension of the film passing through the cameragraph. It is, therefore, evident that a release of the tension of the film to any material extent will allow the arm 8 to fall a sufficient distance to close the contacts 6 and 7 and the machine is thus shut off from action automatically. Under this condition the operator may handle several machines at the same time, that is, while one machine is operating to display the pictures on the screen, the operator may prepare a second machine for operation as the first machine will be cut out if the film is not running properly.

By means of my improved control device the possibility of fire from the film backing up in the machine through the aperture 17 or otherwise forced into close proximity to the are-light is avoided. In the drawings a guard plate 60 is shown as shielding the film adjacent the light and in operation this guard plate is often left open to give the operator ready access to the film and with some machines the guard plate is not used. In such instances if the lower reel does not take up the film properly it very readily backs out along the table and into contact with the boX 15, which is usually sufficiently heated to ignite the film.

Having thus briefly described my invention, its utility and mode of operation, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is 1. In a moving picture machine, in combination, a switch for the electric light circuit, springs tending to hold the switch open, a latch carried by the switch member, a control device having a latch engageable by the switch latch when the switch is closed, a locking device for holding the controller latch from movement, an electromagnet adapted to operate the lock to release the controller latch and thus release the switch to actuation by the springs, an electrical circuit for the electro-magnet, and a switch for the magnet circuit adapted to be held normally open by the film passing through the machine when under tension, said switch adapted to be closed by gravity to energize the magnet circuit.

2, In a moving picture machine, in combinat1on, a spring operated switch for breaking the electric light and motor circuits, a locking device tending to hold the switch closed, an electro-magnet adapted to release the locking device and allow the switch to open, an electrical circuit for the magnet, and a switch for the magnet circuit, said switch having a shaft in said circuit provided with a contact point and a contact plate also in said circuit, a roller riding in contact with the film, means intermediate the roller and. shaft whereby the contact point on the shaft is held from engagement with the contact plate while the roller is maintained in position by the film said roller being adapted to close the switch upon its release to movement by gravity.

3. In a moving picture machine, in combination, a switch for both the electric light and motor circuits, springs tending to hold the switch open, a latch carried by the switch member, a control device comprising a spring-controlled latch engageable by the switch latch when the switch is closed, a second latch adapted when operated to actuate the spring controlled latch and release the switch latch and switch to actuation by the springs, an electro-magnet adapted upon energization to operate said second latch, an electric circuit for the electro-magnet, and a switch for the magnet circuit adapted to be held normallv open by the film passing through the machine when under tension, said switch being adapted to be closed by gravity to energize the magnet circuit.

In testimony whereof, I sign this specification.

GLEN D. BRADY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. O. 

